It’s Tuesday and that means a new installment of my Top 10 Tuesday Series. On select Tuesdays, I will be posting new Top 10 lists on a variety of topics so stay tuned! And as always, if you have a topic you’d like to read about, feel free to leave a comment below.
In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Myths that I am going to debunk for you today!
- Myth 1: Doulas are granola, crunchy hippies.
- While many doulas enjoy certain aspects of natural living, most doulas are not your typical “granola, crunchy hippie.” In fact, doulas come in a variety of shapes, sizes and lifestyles so you have the option to find a doula that will best fit with your family.
- Myth 2: Doulas are midwives.
- Doulas and midwives can work closely together but a doula and a midwife are two completely different roles. Doulas are trained to provide physical, emotional and educational support while midwives are trained to provide medical care.
- Myth 3: Doulas are only available for home birth.
- Doulas definitely attend home births but they also attend births at hospitals and birthing centers. Doulas are trained to support birth regardless of the location.
- Myth 4: Doulas only attend non-medicated, natural births.
- Doulas are trained to support all types of births. Whether you want an all natural birth, an epidural or a cesarean birth, doulas can personalize the support for you and your birth.
- Myth 5: I don’t need a doula, my husband/partner will be with me.
- Let’s face it, most men or partners are not exactly educated when it comes to pregnancy or birth; therefore, it can be really beneficial to have an extra (professionally trained) support person to turn to during that time.
- Myth 6: A doula will replace my husband or birth partner.
- Although doulas are a fantastic support, the role of the doula is to be a member of your birth team. Your birth team consists of all the people that will be making your birthing experience memorable; therefore, it works best when all members of your birth team work closely together. I always tell my clients that a doula’s support can even help the couple to experience a greater connection in their relationship.
- Myth 7: I don’t need a doula, I’m having a scheduled cesarean birth.
- Regardless of what type of birth you have, pregnancy and birth can be taxing on the body. With a cesarean birth, you will be having pretty major surgery and sometimes the postpartum experience can be rough. A doula can provide support during the pregnancy as well as during the cesarean and immediately after. It’s a relief to know that you will have your doula to support you, while dad/partner can tend to the baby.
- Myth 8: Doulas will advocate for me during labor and childbirth.
- Doulas are a support person not your advocate. Doulas can provide you with informational resources and support; however, doulas will not make medical decisions for you or interfere with your medical providers during your pregnancy, labor and/or birth. If you have questions, ask your doula for information but they will not tell you how to proceed with medical treatment.
- Myth 9: Doulas will push their agenda on to me.
- As doulas, we provide non-judgmental support to our clients. You should feel comfortable that your doula will support your pregnancy and parenting choices regardless of whether or not the doula would choose those same choices.
- Myth 10: I can not afford a doula.
- Hiring a doula is a personal investment. You are making the choice to invest in yourself, your pregnancy and your birth because you realize that your experience is valuable to you. There are many ways you can save up to afford a doula such as adding doula services to your registry or saving a little each month in the early stages of your pregnancy.
I hope that I was able to debunk a few of the common doula myths for you. Have you heard any similar doula myths? I’d love to know, so share you thoughts below!